Social Services

Zakat and Sadaqa funds are distributed to the needy with the consensus of the committee, which meets on a regular basis. The assistance is provided on a case-by-case basis, and members of the committee have a daunting task of assessing and evaluating one’s financial, familial, emotional and physical status in order to determine the proper level of need. Individual needs vary from financial stresses due to extremely limited income (e.g., on FDS cash, food stamps assistance, SSI, or low paying jobs) and expenses that become overwhelming in many cases.

• Payment of rent, utility bills
• Training for employment (sewing, janitorial services, etc.)
• Employment and job search assistance
• Providing shelter and help for victims of domestic violence
• Summer camps for the needy children
• Eid Open House for needy families
• Distribution of Fitra money on Eid-ul-Fitr; meat donations on Eid-ul-Adha
• Learning of English and Quran classes
• Helping immigrants in the citizenship process
• Providing fans, heaters, furniture, household items, etc.

ZAKAT: Must give Zakat if you have                  SILVER: Must give Zakat if you have:

3- ounces or                                                         21- ounces or
7.5- Tolas, Bori, Vori or                                         52.52- Tolas, Bori, Vori or
56.25- pennyweight or                                         393.75- pennyweight or                             
87.48- grams                                                         612.36- grams

Zakat: 2.5% on your annual Savings and Gold and Silver.
1. Poor 2. Needy 3. Zakat Collectors/Administrators 4. Those Whose Hearts are reconciled towards Islam 5. Those in Bondage (Slaves/Captives) 6. The Debt-ridden 7. Fe-SabilAllah: In the cause of Allah 8. The Wayfarer (Travelling with few resources)

Shaikh said: Zakat can be given to people in Debt, Baitulmal employees salary, Masjids which give dawah in Kaffir land, Madressa students out of town.

Fitra: (Zakat Al-Fitr): on Eid-al-Fitr, $8 per person (one time Full meal)

Sadaqa (Charity): FiSabilillah, Can be given to anyone including non-Muslims

Fidya: If you skip a Ramadan Fast for valid reasons (illness, old age) then, you must pay Fidya. Approx. 2kg of wheat, rice, dates per Fast or Feed ONE poor man for each day.

Kaffara (Penalty, Expiation): If you deliberately miss or break a Ramadan Fast without a valid reason, you must pay Kaffara. Free a Slave or FAST 60 consecutive Days. If you can’t, then feed 60 miskeen for EACH missed Fast or pay $480 (same as Fitra per person $8) for EACH missed Fast for Redemption

Ushur (Zakat Al’Ard): Pay 10% of harvest on mechanically irrigated land. And Pay 5% harvest on Rain-water irrigated land.

Qisaas (retaliation): is only for deliberate & wrongful Killing. Eye for an Eye.

Diyah (blood-money): The relatives can accept Ransom or Blood money and let the Killer go for Free and forgive him.

Jizyah: Tax paid by non-Muslims to their Muslim Rulers for their Protection

For New Cases:

1. The new applicant must fill out a complete SSC application form and attach a government approved picture ID.
2. The SSC applications can be obtained via a fax, US Mail or simply visiting our web site IFGSTL.ORG
3. Within one or two days of the SSC form, the applicant is interviewed over the phone followed by a home visit by one of the SSC caseworkers.
4. If the SSC caseworker is satisfied with all the information provided by the applicant (ie. Sadaqa or Zakat, Foodstamps, SSI, Annual Income) to be accurate, then he/she signs the SSC form and submits it to the Chairman of SSC.
5. The Chairman/casewoker further inspects the case thru other SS organizations.
6. If all the information has been assessed and evaluated properly, then the PO order is originated and submitted to the IFGSTL office.
7. The amount of money to be granted depends on the immediate need of applicants.
8. In most cases, the Rent checks are written directly to the Landlords and the Utility checks are directly written to the Utility companies.
9. The Zakat and Fitra checks are allowed to be written directly to the needy applicants in accordance to the Islamic Shariat and IRS guidelines. It is NOT the responsibility of SSC to investigate where the recipient spend his/her money.
10. Priority and preference is given to Orphans, Widows, Homeless and Domestic Abuse applicants. We do not pay for Lawyer fees in most cases.
11. The minutes of the meeting or conference call is developed with date and time.
12. A hardcopy file is created for every new applicant and stored in the file cabinet in the office. If it’s an older case, we do not need the application, just need the ID.
13.  A softcopy is also created for every new applicant and stored in the SSC database
14. There is Limit of Sadaqa/Zakat to by given, depending on the circumstances of each family and number of dependents.

For Old (Repeater) Cases:

1. To avoid wastage of paper & time, a repeater case does not have to fill out a form.
2. If the information (ie. Address, tel# or family #) has been changed from last assistance then it is duly noted on the PO form to be updated on the SSC database.
3. Previous history of the assistance is properly checked in the SSC database but NOT attached with the PO form to avoid wastage of paper and time.
4. It is Vital for everyone to explore ways to get employed, connect with other organizations to find jobs & vocational/job trainings so they can become self-supporting and NOT depend on Sadaqa/Zakat continuously.
5. We require them to Document their efforts to Find a Job and ready to present it, if asked.

Social Services, IFGSTL